Setting goals for 2019

So here we are at the start of another year, where did 2018 go? I know that we’re a week into 2019, but today feels more like the new start. I wanted to chat a bit about goals, setting them and working towards them. I used to be terrible at setting myself goals, making them far too generic. Which is why I never often hit them or made much progress. This year I want to work towards some bigger goals that I’ve set myself to achieve before I turn 30 next year (which will come around quickly).

Define your goals.

After attending a talk last year on how to set goals and achieve them, I realised I used to make my goals too generic and without a plan on how I was going to achieve them. This year I’m setting goals that are easier to achieve. They mostly relate to fitness & health as it’s something I want to focus more on this year, especially running. I’ve also made some career & personal focused ones too. So instead of saying, I’d like to get better at running this year (which I do) I’ve set myself a goal of entering a half marathon and running it. Defining what it is you really want to achieve will help you know what you need to do to work towards it.

Break them down.

One thing I took away from the talks last year was to make smaller goals to achieve your bigger ones. So instead of just aiming to run a half marathon (which is my bigger goal) I’m first aiming to build on my running from last year to be able to run 10k without stopping. Breaking it down into a smaller goal makes it less daunting and more achievable. I’ve gone through most of my goals and broken them down into more manageable ones that will help me get to my bigger ones. If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed with something you want to achieve, try breaking it down first.

Make a plan.

Next is make a plan on how to achieve them. This helps map out how you’re going to achieve your goals. This could be aiming to run so many times a week, or attending a certain fitness class to help see improvements. I’ll be aiming to attend Parkrun each week or a midweek running group to keep on top of my training. I find planning one of the most effective ways to stay on track to make sure you’re making progress and working towards your goal.

I’d love to know some of your goals, is there anything you’d like to achieve this year?